Warner Bros. and DC Studios’ The Flash debuted at No. 1 at the domestic box office this weekend, earning $55.1 million, according to estimates from comscore, a measurement firm.

But the superhero movie, whose marketing campaign was marred by legal scandals and disturbing allegations surrounding its star Ezra Miller, falls short of early domestic box office estimates of $70 million to $75 million. I didn’t.

The film grossed $75 million internationally and has grossed $130.1 million worldwide.

The Flash isn’t the first DC title to disappoint at the box office in recent years. The critically acclaimed Shazam! Wrath of the Gods opened at $30.5 million in March, while Black Adam languished at $67 million in October (not a terrible number, but rivals who typically open at $100 million or more). It’s no big deal compared to Studio Marvel’s superhero movies (The Weekend).

The studio has been in turmoil since the Warner Bros. Discovery merger, resulting in mass layoffs and the cancellation of future DC projects like Batgirl and Wonder Woman 3. Controversially, “The Flash” was not among the casualties.

Rounding out the weekend’s top three domestic box office grosses is Disney and Pixar’s Elemental, which made a lackluster debut with $29.5 million. And Sony Pictures Animation’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse added $27.8 million in its third weekend, bringing its North American gross to $280.4 million.

Directed by Andrés Muschietti, The Flash follows Miller’s Barry Allen as he embarks on a supersonic journey through space and time to save the universe. The supporting cast includes Sasha Cole’s Supergirl, Ben Affleck’s Batman and Michael Keaton’s Batman.

The action film’s release comes on the heels of a tumultuous time for both the studio and its star, who have been repeatedly arrested and accused of illegal activities in recent years.

In 2020, the 30-year-old actor who starred in Perks of Being a Wallflower and Fantastic Beasts was filmed grabbing a female fan by the throat in Iceland. Two years later, they were arrested twice in Hawaii on charges of disorderly conduct and harassment (suspected of causing a disturbance at a local bar) and second-degree assault (suspected of throwing a chair at a woman).

Prosecutors dropped the harassment charges after Miller did not plead guilty to misdemeanor or disorderly conduct and was ordered to pay a $500 fine. No formal charges have been filed in the assault.

In June 2022, parents of an 18-year-old boy in North Dakota accused Miller of exhibiting “cult-like behavior” and engaging in “emotional and psychological manipulation” to groom their child from the age of 12. condemned.

teenager at the center of the case Has defended Miller ever since It dismissed the grooming allegations as an “offensive and irresponsible smear campaign” against the actor.

After being charged with felony trespassing and theft in Vermont in January, Miller was placed on probation and the Department of Child Services is reportedly searching for a mother and three children who lived on Miller’s farm. ing.

The theft charges were dropped after Miller pleaded guilty to trespassing. As part of the plea bargain, they were ordered to pay a $500 fine, abstain from alcohol and undergo random drug tests.

Miller announced last year that he had “began ongoing treatment” for “complicated mental health issues” after experiencing “a period of deep crisis.”

“I would like to apologize for causing concern and upsetting people with my past actions,” they said in a statement at the time.

“I am committed to doing the work necessary to return to a healthy, safe and productive phase of my life.”

“Justice League” Blake also met with studio execs last summer during a major creative overhaul at Warner Bros., drawing negative attention to themselves and, by extension, “The Flash.” It is said that he expressed his remorse for the matter.

In the weeks leading up to the movie’s release, Miller was mostly out of the spotlight. But they made a rare appearance at the film’s Los Angeles premiere earlier this month, giving Muschietti a warm welcome and thanking various studio executives for their support.

comScore Senior Media Analyst Paul Dergarabedian recently said, “It’s been an unfortunate few years that stars who are closely associated with their characters and films have had very public issues off-screen. It happens every year,” he recently told The Times.

“This is going to be a nightmare for studio publicists, because it’s one more thing that studio publicists have no control over. The Flash is all about pushing the lead star to get publicity.” It will be a case study of what happens if you don’t.”

Following Muschietti, Warner Bros. Discovery president David Zaslav and DC co-head James Gunn tried to spice it up (Zaslav and Gunn). called it Muschietti declared he couldn’t play the Scarlet Speedster better than Miller, but “Flash” received mixed reviews, with a decent fresh rating of 67% on Rotten Tomatoes.

The title received a B rating from the audience as voted by CinemaScore.

“The most persuasive question ‘The Flash’ raises, after all, has little to do with separating art from artists. What matters is whether films can be separated from fanservice,” said The Times. Film critic Justin Chang writes:

“Having lost the never-ending game of musical chairs over IP, Barry realizes perhaps too late, but the futility of dwelling on the past. It’s a lesson.”

Disney/Pixar’s latest film, Peter Thorne’s “Elemental,” also did poorly at the domestic box office this weekend, falling short of analyst expectations. The animated His Love His Story debuted at number four internationally with $15 million, taking him to $44.5 million in cumulative worldwide box office receipts.

For the studio duo that once dominated the modern animation market but have faced stiff competition from Sony Pictures Animation (“Spider-Verse”) and Universal/Dreamworks in recent years, this is ‘Buzz Light’. It will be the second consecutive box office disappointment, following “Year”. / Illumination (“Cat in Boots: Last Wish”, “Despicable Me” series).

Disney and Pixar are still struggling to make a comeback in theaters after direct-streaming multiple movies (“Soul,” “Luka,” and “Turning Red”). The studio hasn’t had a blockbuster since 2019’s “Toy Story 4,” according to comScore.

Also hitting theaters this weekend is Lionsgate’s “The Blackening.” Tim Story’s slasher comedy, which mocks the conventions of the horror genre, debuted at number six with $6 million.

Both “Elemental” and “The Blackening” received rave reviews from critics, with the former earning a respectable 75% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and the latter an excellent score of 86%. bottom. “Elemental” also received an A rating from the audience in the CinemaScore poll, while “The Blackening” received a B-plus.

Expanded and widely available this weekend are Focus Features’ “Asteroid City” and Sony Pictures’ “No Hard Feelings.”

Times staff writer Alexandra Del Rosario and Jonah Valdes contributed to this report.